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Jason Demetriou has been punted as South Sydney coach after the board eventually decided his time was up.
The Rabbitohs board met for more than three hours at their Maroubra headquarters on Tuesday morning to address the future of their third-year coach who has led the last-placed Souths to only one win from seven games this season.
They then deferred any public announcements until after holding another meeting at 5pm so chairman Nick Pappas could be looped in from London for a second meeting.
He has been relieved of his duties, effective immediately, with the club issuing a statement to say it “need to go in a new direction with its coaching following a less-than-satisfactory series of results over the 2023 and 2024 seasons”.
“The board and management feel that now is the time to make a change to the leadership of our football program in terms of the head coaching role,” CEO Blake Solly said.
“There is no doubting Jason’s work ethic or his drive for success, but unfortunately that success has not been forthcoming over the past 12 months. We wish Jason, his wife Natalie and his daughters the very best of luck in the future and we thank him for his service to our club over the past five-and-a-half years.”
Assistant Ben Hornby will fill in on an interim capacity for the rest of the season with David Furner, who was only added to the coaching staff a couple of weeks ago, to help out the former St George Illawarra skipper.
Solly will front the media in Maroubra early on Wednesday morning, with Hornby expected to follow after the team’s captain’s run.
Jason Demetriou. (Photo by Matt King/Getty Images)
Souths had tied Demetriou to a two-year contract extension only last October, though it is understood a clause in that deal entitles him to only nine months of wages as his payout.
The Rabbitohs finish Demetriou’s 58-game full-time tenure with a 50 per cent winning record, but only a 25 per cent record across his last 20 games in charge.
Souths had led the competition through 11 rounds last year but things began to unravel spectacularly after star player Latrell Mitchell suffered a long-term calf injury.
During the slump that followed, Demetriou came under fire for allegedly giving the club’s star players preferential treatment, with club legend and assistant coach Sam Burgess leaving amid the rumours.
Earlier in the day, Demetriou said it is “not easy” to be the subject of ongoing scrutiny after South Sydney had deferred making a call on his future at the club.
Demetriou presided over training on Tuesday morning as the board mulled their options, and faced a media scrum as he left Heffron Park just after lunchtime – for the last time as coach.
“It’s not easy but it is what it is,” Demetriou said of the pressure. “It’s a big club, we’re not performing, so questions have to be asked. I understand that, I respect it.”
It is far from ideal preparation for the last-placed team as they prepare for Thursday’s clash against premiers Penrith.
“I’m prepping for tomorrow’s training,” Demetriou said. “I want to get on with coaching the footy team, that’s what I’m paid to do.”
Considered a head coach in waiting, Hornby dodged reporters by leaving Heffron Park through a side exit shortly before Demetriou departed through the front door.
The Rabbitohs’ slow start to the year has come after they capitulated from finals contention last season by losing seven of their last 10 games.
Club legend and assistant coach Sam Burgess quit amid the downturn, dogged by claims he disagreed with what was described as preferential treatment given to star players by Demetriou.
This year, Demetriou survived swirling rumours about his job security prior to the club’s round-seven bye, guiding the Rabbitohs to a spirited 34-22 loss to high-flying Cronulla in the face of three mid-game injuries.
But similar composure eluded Souths in round eight as they were thrashed 54-20 by Melbourne on Anzac Day.
Demetriou was pictured embracing several players at training on Tuesday as the pressure continued to mount. “The boys have been outstanding, that’s never been an issue,” Demetriou said.
“They’re tight, it’s a tight group. They’re battling with injuries at the moment, half a squad missing, and they keep turning up. They’ll turn up Thursday night as well.”
South Sydney have been heavily linked with Wayne Bennett, Demetriou’s former mentor at the Rabbitohs, who is due to leave the Dolphins at the end of the season.
Bennett, who led South Sydney to the 2021 grand final, has been coy when quizzed about his coaching future beyond this year.
with AAP
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